An Anderson man will serve over five years for possessing Molotov cocktails and impersonating Homeland Security, according to the Southern District of Indiana’s Attorney’s Office.
Joshua Stearman, 42, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after homemade firebombs, called Molotov cocktails, were found in his Toyota RAV4, officials said.
“Thanks to the swift actions of local law enforcement and the expert analysis of our federal partners,” said the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Tom Wheeler, “this dangerous individual was stopped before he could carry out a potentially deadly attack.”
Why was Joshua Stearman arrested?
Officers were dispatched around 1:47 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2023 after a suspicious man was seen outside a house in Ingalls, Indiana that had been vandalized and set on fire twice. A witness saw Stearman approach the house holding something, then flee to his SUV when security lights went on.
When Ingalls police confronted Stearman, officials said he was wearing black gloves with duct tape around his wrists. He presented them with a fake government ID and told them he was a Homeland Security Officer returning from a mission.
Officers found a lighter and four Molotov cocktails in his car. It is generally illegal to possess Molotov cocktails under federal law, officials said.
Stearman was sentenced on July 31. He has filed an appeal, according to online court records.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Molotov cocktails, homeland security impersonation: Indiana man sentenced in federal case
Reporting by Matthew Cupelli, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
